A Lewis Center doctor who practices in Columbus has pleaded guilty to theft and Medicaid fraud and has agreed to repay more than $1.6 million, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s office. Dr. Patrick Muffley, 56, entered his guilty plea on October 19 in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, admitting to a scheme built on more than 27,000 fraudulent Medicaid claims filed through his Columbus clinic.
Muffley operated Embody Wellness Obstetrics and Gynecology at 5957 Cleveland Avenue in Columbus, a clinic that primarily provided addiction-management services, the Attorney General’s office said. A second person connected to the case, Lisa Fillhart, 61, of Lima, pleaded guilty the same day to Medicaid fraud and unlicensed practice of nursing, according to the Attorney General’s office and court reporting on the pleas.
According to the Attorney General’s office, the investigation began with a tip from the Ohio Auditor of State’s office, which led investigators to examine the clinic’s billing activity. Between January 2021 and March 2026, Muffley and Fillhart filed more than 27,000 fraudulent Medicaid claims for telehealth visits and services that never occurred or were never provided, the office said.
Investigators found that claims were submitted for some days when Muffley was not logged into the telehealth portal, the Attorney General’s office said. Muffley also falsified his appointment records to help back up the fraudulent claims, according to the office. Total losses to Medicaid amounted to $1,645,052, the office said.
The Attorney General’s office said Fillhart also represented herself to be a nurse and provided medical advice, but did not have a license to practice nursing. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Andy Miller sentenced Fillhart to a year of probation, according to reporting on the October 19 hearing.
As part of his plea agreement, Muffley has agreed to pay full restitution to the Ohio Department of Medicaid before his sentencing hearing, which is currently scheduled for January, the Attorney General’s office said. His provider agreement with Medicaid was suspended in September, according to the office.
Medicaid is the public health coverage program that pays for care for eligible Ohioans, and claims submitted to it are paid with public funds. For patients and residents in Columbus and Delaware County, the case is now in its final court phase, with Muffley’s sentencing set for January and the restitution payment due to the Ohio Department of Medicaid before that hearing takes place.
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